What Makes You So Special?
by NoWaitThisIsAwesome
Summary: Rosalie Hale is an hot, new model finishing her senior year at the internationally acclaimed Forks Arts Academy. Aloof and privileged, she winds up working with the infamous Emmett Cullen. Tempers flare and laughs ensue. Usual suspects. AU, AH, OOC
1. Jimmy is in My Corner and On My Feet

**AN: This is my first posting, but I am lucky enough to have the best beta ever. Mucho thanks are due to AHelm, for holding my hand, reading & editing like the wind and generally being chock full of awesomeness. **

**This story is going to be OOC, so if you can't handle Rosalie as anything but an uber-bitch? This is not the story for you. I feel like she gets a bad rap! No one is just a bitch all the time. This story is my attempt to show another side to her character.**

**So I repeat, OOC. **

**If you aren't hung up on SMeyers exact portrayal, give this story a chance.**

**Characters in this story are not owned by me, I am merely taking them out for a literary stroll.**

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**Jimmy is in My Corner and on My Feet**

I stood in front of the mirror in the third floor girls bathroom mirror, carefully re-applying my blood-red lipstick and gloss. It was still relatively early in the day, but there is no such thing as having your makeup too perfectly applied. _It's probably a good thing that there are so many bathrooms in this building, _I thought to myself,_ The last thing I need now is-_

The door swung open abruptly, jarring me out of my Dior-induced thought bubble. Who was disturbing my alone time? The communion between a model and her war paint is a sacred thing, and should never be treated lightly. I glanced away from the reflection of my own face to see two familiar faces gawking back at me. Great. Just what I needed. Resident twin pains in my ass, Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory. My cursory glance hardened into a glare when I realized they were still staring.

"Do you need something? Possibly … a lesson on how staring is classless and uncouth?" The words were innocent enough, but the venom behind it was enough to start both girls blinking and looking everywhere in the small room except at me. I rolled my eyes to myself, watching them fumble under my "wrath". Seriously, were the two of them sharing a brain? What exactly did they think I was going to do to them? I chuckled darkly as they scurried into the handicapped stall together at the opposite end of the bathroom from me. As I stood there, in the now-silent bathroom, I retouched the carbon black eyeliner that made my blue eyes shine just a tad brighter against my pale complexion. Just as I was silently debating a re-touch of blush, Jessica and Lauren began talking. About me. Clearly, their goldfish-sized memory spans had already managed to forget I was still. In. The. Fucking. Room.

"Forget her. She's a bitch," said Lauren. Her petulant voice unmistakable as it reverberated off of the high bathroom ceiling.

"Yeah" came Jessica's shaky reply. "She just thinks she's so much better than everyone else."

"Like totally. Ohmigod-" But Lauren swallowed the rest of that sentence when she looked up to see me casually leaning over the partition. Being 5'11 has its perks and I never wore flats. My four-inch brilliant blue Jimmy Choos weren't just fierce to look at. They were actively helping me scare the shit out of those two girls.

"Let me correct a misconception you seem to be laboring under." I smiled a brittle, fake smile, feeling my cheeks heat slightly as my voice sweetly addressed them, " I don't think I'm better than everyone else. I do, however, know that I am better than a couple of two-bit skanks in last years' designer knockoffs that have nothing better to do than gossip about someone they don't know. Now both of you shut the fuck up and get the fuck out of here and I'll think about not killing you." And with that, I let the smile disappear and glared at the two of them, sitting there with their faces permanently frozen into twin expressions of retardation and surprise. "NOW!" I spat at them. And they snapped into action, eager to flee the scene of their humiliation. I sighed as the door closed behind them, leaving me in peace again. Turning back to the mirror, I smoothed my hair and noted smugly that I had just enough heat left from our tête-à-tête in my cheeks to render blush unnecessary. I gathered the cosmetic debris quickly into my clutch and, giving myself one last once-over, turned to leave my dubious sanctuary.

Slipping out of the bathroom and into the brightly lit hallway, I nearly collided with the bundle of spastic energy that is Alice Cullen. She was in the middle of a world-class pout if her face was any indication and was practically running backward down the hall trying to keep pace in front of Bella Swan. Bella was studiously ignoring both the puppy-dog expression on Alice's' face and the stream of supplication pouring from her. Bella yawned and looked over Alice's head, her eyes lighting on me as I stopped just in time to avoid Alice flying into me.

"Hey, Rose! Where have you been? I have been looking... ok, I wasn't really looking yet, but where were you? You missed Astrology." Bella looked over at me with a studied air of innocence, but she couldn't help the smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. _Damn it. That girl can't keep anything to herself. She's lucky I love her. Really lucky._ I sighed and turned to meet Bella and Alice's inquisitive looks.

"You guys are probably going to laugh…." I breathed deeply and leaned in conspiratorially. "Ok, I will tell you both but let's get out of the hallway first."

I brushed an errant stand of hair behind my ear and motioned for both of them to follow me as we headed down the hall to a rehearsal room that I knew would be empty. I pushed the door open and ushered them both in ahead of me, glancing quickly down the hall in the direction we had just come. I could've sworn I saw a flash of a bright green shirt and a mop of unruly curls turn the corner out of sight. I smirked to myself and turned back to my friends, shutting the door firmly. I turned to look at both of their inquisitive faces. Alice hopped up on the piano bench, tossing her giant red Marc Jacobs hobo bag on the closed instrument, while Bella pulled the throne from behind the drum kit and perched on it, crossing her legs and looking at me expectantly. I took a deep breath, quickly deciding how much to tell them.

"Ok, girls, I have good news and, well … good news." I smiled brightly, sliding on top of a Orange amplifier. I looked at both of them, moving my gaze from Alice's wide silver eyes to Bella's warm brown ones.

"I got the job!" I squealed, letting myself really, truly get excited about it for the first time.

"Oh my god! That's awesome!" Bella shouted.

Alice spoke quicky after Bella. "I am not surprised. I _told_ you that you were going to get it, but I'm glad you realized I was right."

Both Alice and Bella leapt up from their spots and had me in a tight hug before Alice had finished speaking.

"What is your other news? Not that that isn't amazing enough, but you mentioned something being funny. No one laughs about being in Calvin Klein's fall campaign. Drools jealously, perhaps, but no one laughs. So…?" Bella asked, an eyebrow quirked inquisitively.

"Oh, god. This may be the best part. I came to school late and I was in the bathroom after meeting with my agent. Just touching up my makeup, you know?" Alice nodded along, but Bella's eyes darkened and fixed on me with a knowing stare. _Damn, she is perceptive._ I swallowed and squared my shoulders as I continued. "So, who should come in but Lauren and Jessica, skanking the whole place up." I paused for effect. Bella's eyes widened at this information while Alice just wrinkled her nose in disgust, "and after a episode of 'staredown by Sluts R Us' I told them to get lost."

They both giggled a bit at that, but I shook my head, "Oh, no that's not the best part. They went into a stall not five feet away from me where they proceeded to talk shit about me." I announced with an eye roll "And since that shit just isn't kosher no matter how retarded they are, I couldn't let that slide. So, I kind of ripped them both a pair of new assholes." I was laughing as I told them. Remembering the look of transfixed fear and horror on both of their faces had me giggling so hard that I couldn't breathe for a minute. Bella regarded me solemnly and in a low voice said,

"Rose, I can't believe you are laughing at the special needs kids. That's fucked up."

"A need for constant dick is not special, Bella." Alice said in equal seriousness, and we collapsed in a fit of laughter.

When we had calmed down a bit I looked at both girls and smiled. _My friends kick so much ass_, I thought to myself. Bella stood up and offered Alice a hand up too, and we went to stand in front of the mirror that covered the opposite wall, fixing our make-up. Again. What? Laughing until you cry can cause smears. Luckily for us, it hadn't. I looked at the three gorgeous faces in the mirror and made a decision. "Loves of my life, this is a red-banner day. I say we ditch class, hit the stores and then celebrate tonight with a little dancing. We are far too attractive to spend this Friday night in and I am itching to let loose."

"Yes!!" Alice was already in the bag, practically vibrating with anticipation, we both turned to Bella, who threw her hands up in mock resignation.

"Fine. But two very serious non-negotiable rules," she said, looking back and forth between us. "Rule number one: no drinking games when we go out. I don't want a repeat of Cinco de Mayo, capise?"

_Gah, me either_, I thought. _Bella can't hold her liquor, but the girl is competitive_. _We won't be making that mistake again_.

Both Alice and I nodded in agreement, and Bella continued. "And rule two: it's Rose's night so whatever she wants goes." She said with a big smile. "Let's get the hell outta dodge and you can tell us all about the job while we get something fabulous to wear tonight."

"Um, can I just say that I love you both to death and hell yes!" I linked arms with both girls as we left the room and exited the building. We climbed into my red BMW and I put the top down, letting the highway winds weave sunshine and freedom into my hair. I smiled at everything. Today really was my day. I had gotten the job. Me. It was all mine. He was all mine. The rest of those girls? They could eat their hearts out.


	2. Black is the New Platinum

**AN**: First of all, I would like to thank everyone who read, reviewed, alerted and favorit-ed: You all are awesome! I apologize that it's taken me this long to update, real life is crazy like that sometimes. A very big thank you goes to **AHelm**, the most awesome beta of all time, without whom, this story would not exist. And to **MPants** for being my personal cheerleader. I love you both! * Also, there was some thing weird going on with uploading this chapter, so I apologize for that. It seems to be fixed now.*

**Black is the New Platinum**

**(For Cards Not Blondes)**

We breezed through the doors at Barneys into a heady cloud of rich perfume and excitement. I scanned the Women's evening wear, looking for Tanya, my personal shopper. She constantly kept an array of items on hand that she thought I might like. And with the dollar amount that I spent in her store, she knew to make herself available when I needed her. I mean, my charge card had to be paying a large portion of her salary and it's not like I was a demanding bitch every day. I inflicted my presence - and money - upon the girl probably once a week. Whatever. Catching a glimpse of her coming out of the women's fitting area, I called out "Honey, we're home!" and she immediately changed route to come directly to us.

"Miss Hale! I'm so pleased to see you again. I actually have quite a few items set aside for you from the new collections. Did you want to see them all or do you have something special in mind for today's excursion?"

"Well, Tanya, we are heading out for a night on the town so we are looking for something with a lot of glitz and glam. Something jaw-dropping," I announced, and felt Bella stiffen at my side. She was no doubt picturing us all dressed in be-dazzled spandex hooker gear. Her enthusiasm for my modeling accomplishments notwithstanding, her own passion for fashion was minimal. She usually just participated because Alice and I had shown her what a difference a little effort and a lot of money spent correctly could make. And honestly? Everyone wants to look good. It's a universal truth. Some people just don't know it yet. So, I patted Bella's shoulder comfortingly and added to my previous statement.

"Bella needs classic lines with a modern twist, Alice will go for something couture and adventurous, and you know what I like."

Both girls grinned at me, and Tanya ushered us into a large private fitting room where we each claimed our own black velvet chaise and accepted a flute of champagne. Tanya set the bottle on a low table between the three of us and said, "I'll be right back with a few options for each of you. Just sit back and relax." With that, she disappeared through the thick, matching black velvet drapes.

"Where are we headed tonight?" Alice queried, downing her glass and pouring herself another.

"I was thinking Trinity or maybe Heaven. What do you guys think?" I asked them, draining my own glass and reaching for the bottle.

Bella snickered. "I want to know why all the hottest clubs have names that make you think of church when everyone's doing things that necessitate a trip to the confessional!"

"We could go to The Last Supper Club." Alice offered with a giggle.

I quirked and eyebrow and tapped my chin, "Nothing religion-related? Hmmm … how about Venom?" I asked "Although," I said with a heavy sigh "I really do want to go to Trinity. It's pretty new and I hear everyone's been going." I pouted just a bit until Bella rolled her eyes and refilled everyone's glasses.

"It IS your night, Rose," she started. "But I reserve the right to bail if it starts sucking."

"Oh, believe me, if it sucks, we'll be off like a prom dress and onto the next hotspot," I agreed quickly.

"But it's not going to suck. It's going to be a good night. I can tell." Alice added with a smile

Tanya entered as Alice finished her statement and added, "I'm sure you ladies will have a great night. Will you need accessories and shoes as well?" Three assistants followed her into the room, each wheeling a garment rack full of possible options.

"We won't need any accessories, but I'll let you know about the shoes," I told her dismissively, eyeing Bella's high-top Chuck Taylors. We _would_ need shoes.

"Girls, let's get started, we only have an hour until Gus is expecting us at the salon."

At which news, Alice actually clapped, bouncing from her seat to attack her designated rack. For the next forty minutes, the room was a semi-violent flurry of lace, silk, leather, tulle and various other fabrics. Alice landed on an alarmingly short Donna Karan creation. It was electric green satin; a bias-cut slip dress that hugged her tiny frame. With her white peep-toe Christian Louboutin slingbacks, she appeared more like a modified retro movie star than the trollop that most girls would have resembled in the same outfit. Bella, on the other hand, was equally stunning in her own way. Her final pick was a royal blue Valentino that had a modest scoop neckline, belying the risqué back of the dress, which ended just before anyone could complain of indecency. I smirked to myself. She looked really good. And as the hemline hit just above her knees, she really couldn't complain. I could and had, in the past, forced much more "daring" looks on Bella. Her shoes, however, would never do. I summoned Tanya and placed my request. A moment later, Bella's feet were clad in sleek, black, four-inch shiny leather pumps.

"Jessica Simpson? Really, Rose?" she asked, inspecting the footwear,

"Hey, I'm not saying that I would ask the girl for advice or help with my coursework, but the shoes are cute." I said with a shrug.

As for my choice? My evening's costume consisted of a gorgeous blood red, ruched silk Diane von Furstenburg dress with a plunging neckline and a flared skirt that made my legs look miles long and my waist nearly invisible. Adding my Steve Madden red and gold round-toe mules finished the compilation. We were nearly red-carpet worthy. And when Gus was finished with us, we would be. I smirked at the thought of all the disappointed faces when we stalked into the club tonight and stole the spotlight. I knew my love of attention was borderline obsessive and possibly unhealthy but at least I was making money from it. Mentally shrugging off those thoughts that seemed to be venturing into darker territory, I summoned Tanya.

"We'll take everything that we are wearing, and a full La Perla black label set in each of our sizes. Go ahead and have everything sent over to our suite at The Four Seasons. Oh, and just put everything on the black card. You have it on file?" Tanya nodded, so I continued. "Girls we need to jet. Is there anything else here that you want?"

When they both shook their heads, I thanked Tanya and we quickly changed back into our original outfits and set out across the city for Impressions, the salon where Gus - King of the Golden Shears - was currently working. The man was magic, and though I had no idea how much I paid him to work said magic when I saw him, I was confident it was worth every penny. I breathed in deeply as we entered the salon, savoring the familiar scent of chemicals, perfume and high-end aromatherapy that did not quite disguise the other two battling smells. We were quickly swept away into a private room for our preliminary treatments. Whereas the Barneys room was champagne and black velvet, Impressions was all white silk and cosmopolitans. I appreciated both in their different ways, I thought as I sat back, sipping on a Cosmo. I turned to the girls.

"What should we do with Bella's hair tonight?" I asked with a mischevous grin at her immediate consternation over my question. "How about a Mullet? What do you think? Or just shave it all off! It will draw the focus to your eyes, I swear, Bella. It will be _amazing_."

I said completely seriously, as Bella continued to look more and more worried, holding onto her long mahogany hair with both hands. Alice, no longer able to contain her mirth, spilled out a tinkling laugh and said "Oh my god, no! Can you imagine? That would be so awful. I would immediately buy you a wig!"

At this point, Bella leaned over and punched me lightly in the arm, exclaiming, "I swear to god, you have the best poker face ever. I can never tell when you are seriously trying to get me to shave my head or wear hooker boots on ice."

"Well" I said with a laugh, "it's a pretty safe bet that unless you land a modeling contract with some sort of goth clothing label, you will want to keep all your pretty hair. Even if you did snag that contract I would try to talk you out of it," I said, scrunching my face in distaste. Goths never made any sense to me. Why would you intentionally dress like a mime-whore? Whatever. "And they weren't hooker boots, they were regular boots."

"Uh-huh. And if you believe that, I've got a bridge in Phoenix to sell you." She said with a snort.

Alice and I laughed. The boots _had_ been sort of hooker-ish. In a classy way.

Gus and his team of beauty magicians entered and for the next hour and a half there was no conversation as we were exfoliated, manicured, massaged, trimmed and coiffed. There were also a lot of cosmos consumed by both of the girls and myself, so I called for the car service to come pick us up. I was perfectly fine to drive, but the police never factor in tolerance. And the list of things I wanted to do tonight? Getting a DUI wasn't anywhere on it.

Finally fully made up and slightly buzzed, we quickly zipped across town to the Four Seasons. Peter, our driver, informed us that he would wait until we were ready to go out - all we needed to do was give him a call. We thanked him and laughed, the alcohol giving us a nice silly buzz about life as we quickly headed up to our rooms.

Once inside, we found all of our purchases and more champagne, already opened. Three full flutes waited for us on the center table.

As we each grabbed one, I exclaimed, "Wait! We have to feed Bella soon or she will pass out or get sick!" I took her glass out of her hand and replaced it with the room service menu. "Order whatever you want and then you can have your drink back, darling." She scowled at me playfully but traipsed over to the phone and promptly ordered enough food to feed the entire city.

"Really, Bella? Do you even like Steak Tartare?" Alice asked with raised eyebrows

"No," Bella giggled, "I don't think so. But I just ordered one of everything. Food seems like a good idea."

I snorted at that, picking up the phone, "Bella, what sounds really good right now?"

"Macaroni and cheese." She said with a grin.

I redialed the number for room service. "Hi. This is Rosalie Hale in suite 1120. We just placed an order for room service. You can go ahead and cancel all of that except one order of macaroni and cheese, the fruit plate and croissants, and another magnum of Cristal."

"Ma'am, there was no order for macaroni and cheese," came the voice of the lackey on the other end of the line.

"There was no macaroni and cheese ordered originally? Add it then."

"Anything else?"

"No, that should be it," I said, hanging up and playfully swatting Bella's behind. "You didn't even order the one thing that you really wanted, you goofball."

Bella yelped, and leaped behind Alice as she yelled, "Alice, protect me!"

Alice quickly scooted out of the way. "No shenanigans! I hate to be the voice of reason, especially when there's a magnum of Cristal on its way to us, but it is ten o'clock. I'd like to actually see the dance floor tonight." She pointed at Bella. "Eat something quickly and get legit. Then get dressed, ok? And you," she continued, and turned to me. "Get dressed! I _know_ you are going to take forever even though you just had your make up done. So start now, and let's leave in thirty minutes. I think it can be done. I have faith in you both." And with that ending to her soliloquy, she went to answer the door and returned with food and more champagne.

I picked up the black garment bag with my name on it and snagged a bottle and glass before retreating to my room. Alice called out a reminder, "Thirty minutes _only_, Rosalie Hale!"

As I shut my door, I heard Bella speak around a mouthful of food. "Hey Alice, why so serious?" I didn't need the visual. I'd seen Bellas' Joker impression numerous times. I could mentally add the mac'n cheese to that. I was good without a face-to-face.

I left Alice to whip Bella into shape and concentrated on getting myself ready.

Alice was right. With our visit to Gus, beside my outfit change, I really didn't need too much else. I changed slowly, enjoying the smell and feel of the new dress and lingerie. I spritzed a little J'adore by Dior on my pulse points, added a coat of mascara and some lip gloss. Just like that, I was ready. Tucking my ID, black AmEx, and gloss into my red clutch, I re-emerged to check on Tipsy and Time Nazi.

To my surprise, they were completely ready to go, and Bella seemed stone-cold sober.

They were absolutely gorgeous, sitting on the chaise lounge, sipping champagne and debating the merits of paparazzi press versus press releases. At my inquisitive look, Bella came over and with a smile and whispered, "It's all about the carbs. Insta-sober."

I laughed and the three of us made our way down to the car. It had totally slipped my mind to call him, but Alice had remembered, thankfully. . Peter promptly picked us up and whisked us away to Trinity.

We climbed out and made our way past everyone waiting in line. _Must suck to be them_, I thought. We approached the bouncers and I noticed with pleasure that I recognized one of them from Temptations, a club I used to frequent. I couldn't remember his name. I glanced at his shirt and noticed the discreet stitching: Felix.

"Felix! It's been too long." I saw some flashes in my peripheral vision and as a group, Bella, Alice and I turned to give a smile to everyone out there with a camera. _That was your one free shot of the night_, I mused internally.

Felix smiled, clearly pleased over the fact that I had recognized him, and waved us inside "Jane will have your spot ready for you. It's nice to see you too, Rose," he said. I flashed him one more megawatt smile and we headed inside.

The club was crowded and loud; colored lights flashing and bodies gyrating to the latest Lady Gaga travesty of a dance mix. Jane found us quickly and led us up to the glass-walled VIP section. She walked us to a corner table, settled us in with our poison of choice and faded into the background.

I swirled my Long Island Tea and began surveying tonight's prospects. I was here to celebrate and the best way to do that was by dancing until I couldn't feel my feet anymore. _You're only young once, right?_ I smiled to myself, thinking that I certainly was making the most of my high school 'career' as they liked to call it at good ole Forks Academy._ Who to pick?_ I mused, scanning the secluded tables in our section. I spotted a blonde in the far corner that I thought I might have worked with on the Versace show last spring. He was gay, but that just meant he was probably a better dancer than most men and wouldn't expect to be getting any action at the end of the night. He would definitely be fun for tonight.

"I'm going to go dance, girls," I said with a smile, and downed the rest of my drink.

I stood up and was on my way over to Blonde Versace when someone tapped my shoulder.

"Rose?"

I turned around and promptly lost all coherent thought as I locked in on a pair of very familiar, sexy blue eyes.

**AN2**:

Love it?

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Does it need more cowbell?

I want to know what you think!

Reviews are better than going shopping with Rosalie...


	3. Throwdown Not Up

**A/N:** I am so incredibly sorry for how long it has taken me to update this story.

Seriously. You guys are totally Made of Win and rock hard for sticking with me. Real life has been super lame, but I'm back! And it shouldn't take me a million years to get the next chapter out. As always, my undying love and gratitude belongs to** AHelm**, who is my beta-ing goddess and a much better author than I. Anyone who hasn't read her story _Chasing Daylight_ should be ashamed of themselves and rectify it immediately.

Not my characters.

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**Throwdown, Not Up**

The longer I stared into those baby blues, the clearer it became to me that I would have to act quickly before this became a tabloid notable interaction. Plastering on a big fake smile, I hugged him tightly, whispering between clenched teeth "We need to talk later." And then, louder, so that my voice was audible to those around me, "Emmett! So nice you could join us! And look, you even managed to cajole my wicked twin to come along for the ride," I stated as I noticed my slightly drunk twin brother Jasper leaning slightly on Edward Cullen, Emmetts' younger brother and one of my least favorite people.

Fantastic.

I was completely unsurprised though. The three of them could usually be found together. Although I'm older than Jasper by only seven minutes, at times like those, it felt like years.

"What? No hug for me, Bitch Barbie?" Edward asked as I stepped around Emmett and threw an arm around my brother.

"No thanks, I know where you've been and I don't have any Penicillin on me," I shot back with a grimace and leaned in closely to tell Jasper, "Jazz, you're swaying a bit. I saw at least seven photographers and fucking _everyone_ has a camera on their cell phone anyway. Slow down a bit, kay?"

He smiled and agreed. "Sure thing, Rosie."

I smiled back at him. It was nice to have him out even if he was already half in the bag. We weren't typical siblings; we actually liked each other and appreciated each others' company. Novel concept, I know.

Speaking to all three, I offered, "Why don't you join us over here? We have plenty of room." Everyone seemed to agree and I steered them toward our private booth. Both Bella and Alice looked up from their discussion and took note of my new entourage with expressions of surprise. Jazz, ever the smooth operator, slid right in next to Alice and, with a small smile, leaned in close and asked her, "Alice Brandon, would you do me the humiliation of dancing circles around me out there on the dance floor?"

Alice cocked her head to the side, tapping her chin as she pretended to contemplate it before replying, "Jasper Hale, you've kept me waiting a long time."

"I'm sorry, ma'am," he said as he took her hand, and they slipped away to dance. That left me with Emmett, Bella and Edward. I sighed internally. _This should be fun._

Everyone at Forks Academy was talented in some way. It's a private school for the exceptionally gifted and exceptionally fortunate. Bella may not have known her Cavalli from her Versace, but she was a musical genius. The girl could play any instrument you put in front of her and had a voice that could, quite honestly, bring you to tears. She and Edward were so alike in their talents that it was sickening. That was the _only_ thing that they had in common. Musical idiot savants. He was cocky as hell; she was shy. They seemed to get along like oil and water.

_Thanks, Alice_, I thought to myself as I surveyed our table.

Edward and Bella were already engaged in a tense conversation. His jaw was clenched as tightly as his fingers were around his glass of scotch and she looked about ready to junk-punch him. And honestly, usually I'd have been all for it, but I had received a phone call from Mama Hale the last time one of my friends –ahem, Bella, ahem - made a scene in public and that was simply a conversation I never wanted to have again.

My mother is a formidable woman, to say the least. When people think I'm a bitch, they clearly have not had the pleasure of meeting my mama.

I leaned back in the booth and after swallowing the rest of my drink, motioned to a passing waitress that I needed another… no, two more, because Bella needed a refill as well. I was going to rescue her, and hopefully our evening, before Edward shat all over it and Bella beat him up. I didn't mind being on page six for being well-dressed and gorgeous, but I very much minded being on the cover of every grocery-store tabloid for being in a drunken nightclub brawl. More importantly, my _mother_ would mind.

I looked over at him, raised an eyebrow and pointedly asked, "What kind of fucked up shit did we do that Karma is repaying us with your horrific presence this evening?"

He leaned back, throwing an arm casually around Bella and running the other through that coppery mess he called hair. Honestly, it was a pity that he was such a dick, because the boy was good looking. He knew it, too.

"Aw, Barbie, you know as well as I do that you do at least six fucked–up things before breakfast every day, so it's hard to pinpoint exactly which one is being paid forward to you now."

He said it with a wink and a grin.

"Besides, I hear that condolences are in order. You finally convinced the devil to buy your very black soul in exchange for a modeling job. How very plebian of you, Rose. I'd say I'm surprised, but you selling yourself isn't a shock."

He punctuated his insult by draining his drink and snapping at a waiter for another. I felt Emmett tensing next to me; he never understood Edward's and my mutual hatred of each other. We thrived on it though: I loved to hate him, and vice versa. At least he wasn't hitting on Bella anymore. I mentally patted myself on the back for that.

"Oh, Eddie, I know you're just jealous that Emmett waltzed in with no modeling experience whatsoever and snagged that job out from under your pretentious ass. Looks like somebody's not the prettiest boy in the family anymore."

I sang out, feeling the alcohol start to really hit my system and buzz through my veins. Next to me, Emmett laughed, putting his arm around me and hugging me to him.

"She's right E, you do seem a tad bitter, I can't help it that I look good. Shit."

When he laughed again, it was so infectious, that the whole table was laughing. People at _other tables_ were laughing.

I looked up at him and smiled, my thoughts focused on him. He was just so good. He was always funny, and trying to make things better. He was nice - a genuinely nice guy. And his arm felt so good around me, I felt so safe, wrapped up against all those muscles. He made me feel tiny, with his ripped 6'7 frame. And he was so mouthwatering, those blue eyes that were full of mischief and that dark curly hair that I wanted to run my fingers through, and those full lips… and then I realized I was staring.

At Emmett.

In public.

Shit, I was drunk. I quickly tore my gaze away and looked over at Edward and Bella, who were luckily distracted by an argument with each other. I breathed a sigh of relief and leaned away from Em, tuning back in to hear Bella say, "You are such an arrogant motherfucker! I can school your ass any day of the week."

I looked back and forth in confusion. _Shit_, I thought, _she's not really suggesting that they fight, is she?_

"Oh, you are on, cupcake. And when I win, which, I'm sorry, but I will, you will go on a date with me," Edward said, smugly. I was still lost as to what they were talking about but Bella's face was red and her eyes held the glassy sheen of the truly inebriated. And even though I knew I wasn't much better, I saw the warning signs and intervened.

"Excuse us, guys, but Bella and I need to go to the ladies room. Caio, c'mon, B." I grabbed her arm and pulled her along, but she turned around before we could get too far.

"Friday, acoustic, Beatles, at the Banner Stage. Oh, and Eddie? When I win, which, sorry, but I will, not only am I not going to go out with you, but you are going to give me your Ducati."

I snorted in laughter. Not only was a date not at all the same thing as a motorcycle, but the look of horror on E's face as he imagined her owning and possibly operating his pride and joy made my week. Fuck, it made my month.

"Deal. That's how confident I am," Edward said, taking another drink and lighting a cigarette.

Emmett let out a loud laugh and as I dragged Bella in the direction of the bathroom I heard him say, "E, you are so fucking dumb, man. if you lose the Ducati in a bet, Dad will kick your ass."

I was still giggling to myself as we entered the bathroom and I sat Bella down on one of the overstuffed red velvet chairs in front of a mirrored wall. She still seemed upset, but the red in her cheeks was starting to fade a bit.

"Ok, so clearly I missed something. What exactly are you, Eddie-boy and the Beatles doing in the Banner auditorium on Friday?" I asked, while touching up my lip gloss and eyeliner.

She laughed. "You know that he hates it when you call him Eddie, don't you?"

"Of course," I answered. "Why do you think I do it? But you still haven't answered my question." She sighed,

"We're battling. He kept saying he was a better musician because he's been classically trained since he was in utero and it was really pissing me off, because I mean, shit, yeah, he might be better, but he was being such a dick. But now I really want to win," she said in a rush, biting her lip when she finally finished.

I couldn't help but comment. "Uh, Bella? You realize that you on a motorcycle is a god-awful idea, right?"

She smiled, "Oh, I know. And more to the point, he knows that too."

I laughed out loud, my smile just a little bit evil, "Grasshopper, you have learned well."

As she got up, she adjusted a few stray curls and took a look at her cell. "Rose, it's 1:45. We should head back to the hotel. _And_ find Alice."

Rolling my eyes at the last item on her list, I nodded in agreement, and we turned to leave just as Alice came into the ladies room, looking slightly worse for the wear. "Alice! We were just about to go look for you! We're ready to head back. Are you?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah. I invited Jazz and the guys to come back to the hotel. I think we're all ready to go," she announced. She quickly reapplied her makeup and turned to face us, looking restored to her former state of perfection.

In the mirror I saw that Bella and I wore twin masks of shock at that news.

"You invited them back to the hotel? Are you mental?" I asked her.

She just grinned. "No, silly, I don't think any one of us should drive after tonight. Plus, the more, the merrier! Drinking games are more fun with more people." She smiled sweetly and hugged us both, leaving no room for argument and warring senses of elation and dread developed in my stomach.

I was over the moon that I got to spend the night with Emmett, but could I keep my hands off of him as my blood alcohol went up? I doubted it. I doubted it _very_ much, but I couldn't quite bring myself to feel guilty for it.

I took a deep breath and put my arms around my partners in crime. "Well, girls, let's head back. I have a feeling things are about to get interesting."

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**A/N Pt.2: **Music is my favorite drug and like a heroin addict, I have my preferred brand(s). I wrote this chapter to a playlist including: 3oh!3, Brand New, Kings of Leon, Taking Back Sunday, Chairlift and Lily Allen. I am assembling a playlist for this story as I write it, and if there is interest in it, I would be more than happy to post it when complete.

If you are still reading this story and like it, love it, hate it, think it's the worst piece of fic ever written.. whatever.. REVIEW. Please.

Kthanks,

Noela


	4. Never Have I Ever

**AN: Thank you to everyone who reads, and an even bigger thank you to everyone who has reviewed. AHelm is the bomb-diggity for fixing all my errors and being generally made completely out of awesomesauce.  
**

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**Never Have I Ever **

**(Chapter 4)**

We traipsed back to our table arm in arm, ready to begin the next portion of our night. I took a deep breath as I surveyed the guys, who sat at the table, their heads close together, seemingly deep in discussion. Emmett looked up as we approached and flashed us a grin.

"Hey ladies! I hear we're taking this party to the next level!" He quickly stood up and took my arm and Bella's as he asked, "Your limo or mine, milady?" in an atrocious fake British accent. "But seriously, dollface, we should get going before they turn the lights back on in this joint and we all turn back into pumpkins," he finished, leaning in closely to me and securing his arm around my waist. I nodded, breathing in the scent of his cologne, clean and fresh, mixed with his own natural musk and a hint of whiskey it.

If was possible to be drunk with desire from the mere scent of someone, I was.

I bit my lip and stole glances at him as we all exited the club and piled into the back of our waiting car. I reached into a side compartment and came out with Starbucks double espressos for everyone. Passing them out, Alice announced that no one was allowed to drink any more alcohol until we were all safely ensconced in the suite. Edward made a face and reached for the Courvoisier anyway and was repaid with a smack to the back of his head. "Ow! Damn it, Alice, what the fuck? That shit hurts," he swore, rubbing the back of his head and settling back to drink his espresso.

"Don't be an idjit then, Edward. We are going to play some games tonight, and I know you want to partake. So, play by my rules or sleep in the car," she returned smugly.

I laughed. The mental image of Edward's sulky ass sleeping in the car while we all partied was just great. I downed the coffee drink and relaxed, deliberately leaning into Bella instead of Emmett and noticed with amusement that my brother was holding a purse. A small metallic clutch, to be precise. "Jazz? I don't mean to be a total bitch, but that particular clutch you are rocking tonight does not match your shoes. I thought someone ought to tell you."

Emmett and Edward looked at him first in astonishment, and then started laughing. Edward said, "Yeah, dude. I know you and Blondezilla over here are twins, but those are just for chicks, man." Jasper started to blush and shoved the clutch at Alice, while mumbling for all of us to "Shut the hell up, already."

Alice giggled and threw her little arms around his neck and perched on his lap saying, "Ignore them, Jazzy. They're just jealous." And the little pixie turned and stuck her tongue out at me, before looking over her shoulder out the window and clapping her hands and announcing, "We're here, we're here! Ok, everyone try to act sober till we get to the room," she added, looking at each of us seriously.

"Chica, if this takes any longer I will actually _be_ sober by the time we reach the room." Bella answered. We got out of the car and headed through the lobby, arms thrown around each other and laughing, I didn't even notice the men with cameras until a flash went off right in my face and Emmett pulled me between himself and Jasper to shield me. "Hey guys, can we have a bit of privacy please? We're just trying to go about our night, ok? If you would like, we can pose for a few photos, but I don't appreciate being ambushed. I'm sure you understand," Emmett said to the photographers, a smile on his face, but a hard edge to his words.

"Sure thing," the photog said nervously. "Can we get a couple of everyone and a few of just you and Rose?" Emmett nodded and I stepped out from behind him and everyone gathered for a group pose. I could hear the camera clicking and was sure he had taken at least 400 photos. "Now just the two of you!" I smiled and Emmett pulled me closer and we both smiled at the paparazzi for a few seconds before turning to go inside. I could still hear the cameras clicking and see a few peripheral flashes and sighed internally.

Em ushered me inside the lobby and quickly said, "Go on up to the room. I'll be right back," before heading outside where I could faintly hear him telling the men with cameras that we had been more than accommodating, and that they were lucky he didn't just destroy their cameras. I smiled. _He's so sweet when he's protecting me_, I thought as I stood in the elevator with the rest of my friends. _Wait, what the hell am I thinking? I'm motherfucking Rosalie Hale. I don't need to be protected, I can stand up for myself. I fight my own battles._

_Always._

_Ugh, Emmett and I are going to have to talk soon._

As much as I felt that I should be, I couldn't be truly pissed at him for doing that. I hated to admit it to myself, but it had felt nice to have someone protect me and stand up for me.

_Don't get used to it. This is not a permanent situation._ I shook my head and followed everyone out of the elevator and into the suite. I immediately kicked off my heels and smiled when I realized Bella and Alice had done the same. Alice danced over to the stereo system and docked her iPhone, grinning mischievously at me as the music began and then everyone was laughing as Cobra Starships' "Smile For The Paparazzi" came on at full blast.

Emmett appeared in the doorway, raising an eyebrow at our choice of music, and tossed his jacket on the chaise lounge. Alice shrugged and said simply, "It just fit for tonight."

Emmett cracked a grin and nodded in agreement. Alice looked around at everyone and said, "Get comfortable and I'll be right back." With that she pulled Jasper out of the room and disappeared.

"Huh. Alright, well, Bella and I are going to change in my room and you two can change in Bella's room there," I said, gesturing to the left and turned on my heel to go change. Bella shut the door and looked at me speculatively.

"Why is Emmett suddenly Mr. Knight-in-shining-armor against the evil paparazzi? And why are they asking for pictures of the two of you? I thought the modeling announcement wasn't being made until later this week," she asked, quirking an eyebrow as I shrugged out of my evening's finery.

"I don't know, Bella. Now everyone is going to say that we're together. It's just going to start some absurd rumor. Emmett is Emmett; he has parents like mine that hand down the family's ten commandments of how to act in front of cameras. And I think he's probably had to talk Eddie-Boy Wonder out there out of some pretty shittastic situations. Hell, he's probably had to steal and burn cameras before." I stopped, as I realized I was rambling. I quickly pulled out my favorite outfit: a pair of pale blue stretch yoga pants and a well-worn black Jefferson Airplane t-shirt, so worn that bits of it were entirely threadbare. I didn't care. It was the most comfortable piece of clothing that I had ever worn and it made me feel secretly bad ass.

"Uh-huh. This conversation is not over. It's on pause. Until there are less penises around," she answered.

I laughed as I looked up at Bella. Fashion maven, she was not, but the girl had the market cornered on "getting comfortable."

"Bella, darling, you do realize that Alice is going to shit a brick when she sees you in that, right? I mean, if I thought there was any danger of you having your picture taken, I'd intervene to save you from your white-trash self. I can see your nipples, by the way."

She quickly looked down at her wife-beater-clad chest and blushed slightly. "I don't care. And I can see yours too through that t-shirt. C'mon." she pulled a Forks Art Academy hoodie over the offending item and though it now covered her tiny shorts completely I let it go. Alice would have a fit that neither of us were wearing designer pajamas anyway.

With a quick look at my own chest, I decided that my nipples weren't that offensive and Alice would probably be finished with whatever illicit activity she and my brother - _gag_ - had gone off to perpetrate by now. Bella and I returned to the main room to find everyone in their most comfortable clothes, sitting around a low table that had been set with six shot glasses and a plethora of different alcoholic beverages.

"Wow, guys, you shouldn't have. I'll never be able to finish it all," I laughed as I took a seat next to Jasper in front of the shot glass with my name on it. "Personalized shot glasses? Very classy, Al," I noted with a smile in her direction.

But she wasn't paying any attention to me, she was looking at Bella with an expression of consternation on her pretty little face. "Thanks, Rose. It was Jasper's idea," she replied, and still staring at Bella, "Isabella, do you really have no concept of how to use your closet? I will have to show you. For now, I will let it slide. Never again though," she told her in a very serious tone.

"Sure thing, Alice," Bella answered, sighing heavily in mock frustration, but smiling brightly to show that she wasn't really upset at Alice's quest to "beautify" Bella. "What are we playing?"

Alice paused for a moment and looked around at everyone slowly, before breaking into an enormous grin and announcing, "Never Have I Ever!"

_Ugh. The game where you find out everything you never wanted to know about your friends._

_Awesome._

Suddenly the massive pile o'liquor in the middle of the table made more sense. I mentally cringed as I prepared for the onslaught of drinking and mass informational download. I smiled genuinely at everyone's differing reactions, Edward looked elated, the news eliciting a "Fuck, yeah!" from him as he bumped fists with Jasper who just smiled and hugged the hyper evil mastermind excitedly bouncing in his lap. Bella looked confused and Emmett looked slightly concerned.

_Good. At least I'm not the only one with some trepidation._

"Do you not know how to play? It's super easy. Just grab your favorite bottle of whatever and put it on the floor by you. We used to play with just one or two bottles, but... yeah, we decided it was just more effective if everyone had their own," Alice explained to Bella. We all reached for a bottle of our favorite poison. I cradled a bottle of Jamaican Spiced Rum.

As long as I was going to hell, I might as well do it tastefully. This game was the anti-secret.

"Now we go in a circle and you have to say something you've never done, like I would say, 'Never have I ever worn a wife-beater in public.' And then if you have done that you take a shot. Got it? If you haven't then you don't." Bella nodded, and the rest of us needed no tutorial. This game was classic. "Actually," Alice continued, "I think I'm going to use that. Never have I ever worn a wife-beater in public." She looked at us as we all hastily poured shots and downed them. "Really? All of you? Rose?!" I shrugged guiltily, answering,

"I wore one in a photo shoot that was white-trash-chic. Shut up, it's not like I wore it on a date or something, Jesus."

She just shook her head and looked at Edward, "Your turn, E."

He grinned evilly and said, "Never have I ever kissed someone of the same sex."

Alice and I groaned and took our shots, but we were all surprised to see Bella take another one too. Edward's eyes were wide as he looked over at her. Setting my glass on the table, I reached over and high-fived her, "Bella, Bella, way to go. I didn't know you had it in you! Who was the lucky lady?"

She looked at me blankly before bursting into laughter. "It… was….you," she said between gasping breaths of laughter.

"What? When?" I demanded, racking my brain for the apparently forgotten event. She calmed down enough to tell us all that it had been last summer on the yacht, and there had been several hours of drinking beforehand. "But, Bella, I remember us going out on the boat and getting wasted, and don't' take this the wrong way, but why the hell did we kiss?" I asked, still bewildered, but fuzzily recalling the events of that day.

"Oh, um, I forget," she said, with a creeping blush blooming on her face. She was such a terrible liar. And then it hit me.

Bella had told me that day that she didn't know how to French kiss. And like the helpful friend I am, I showed her, much to the boat staff's amusement. I smiled and winked at her, "I remember - you wanted to drive those hotties on the boat next to us wild with jealousy. Awesome plan, totally worked too. I can't believe I forgot our first kiss! Baby, I'm sorry!" I said with an exaggerated pout and batted my lashes at her.

She giggled and said, "Just don't forget our anniversary!" We all laughed, and I promised that I wouldn't forget.

"Alright Bella, surprise us again, it's your turn," Emmett said, turning to her. "Hmm.. something I'd never do.." she said, thoughtfully, biting her lip and drumming her fingers on the table, looking around the room and her gaze landed on Edward. With a small smirk she announced, "Never have I ever had sex with anyone in this room."

Shit.

Everyone but Bella took a shot.

And as we realized this, everyone started talking at once.

I was right, I thought, this game had been a bad idea.

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**AN: I know, I know, evil cliffhanger. **

**Reviews are better than drinking and dodging paparazzi with the gang.**


	5. Shit, Fan Fan, Shit

Chapter 5

Shit, Fan. Fan, Shit.

Everyone was yelling, questions flying back and forth so quickly that they became an indistinguishable auditory blur. I noticed that Bella was the only one not yelling; she was just sitting there, hugging her legs to herself under her giant sweatshirt, her eyes impossibly big as she looked at all of us. _Don't judge us_, I thought, catching her eye with a hard look. _You're part of this world now too. Even if you haven't slept with any of us yet. Which begs the question…_

I put two fingers in my mouth and let out a loud-ass wolf whistle. Everyone stopped yelling momentarily and looked at me.

"Thank you," I said, standing and taking a swig straight out of my bottle of rum. Classy, I know. "Now, obviously, everyone has a lot to say, but I'm calling dibs on this first question. Edward, I have never had sex with you and I know for a fact that Alice hasn't either. Bella didn't take a shot, and Emmett is your brother," I paused and made a face of disgust, "so unless you and Jazz have something you'd like to tell us all, I'm calling bullshit on you right now."

Edward shifted in his seat and looked at Bella, "Not for lack of trying," he mumbled, adding in a louder tone, "I heard 'Never have I ever blah blah blah sex blah blah.' So obviously I took a shot. What?" he asked defiantly, running a hand through his hair as he took another swig.

"Edward!" Alice cried in exasperation, "That's not how the game is played! You can't just drink 'cause you feel like it! You can't play anymore if you aren't going to play by the rules." Alice was standing over him, pointing in his face, and he actually looked slightly afraid of her. "Are you going to play right, or keep being a jerkasaurus?" She spat at him, eyes narrowed.

"Fine, whatever. I'll play by your insane rules," he replied hurriedly, obviously wanting her to get out of his face. "Rule nazi," he added under his breath.

Jasper leaned over and punched him in the arm, saying, "Dude."

Luckily for Edward, Alice's wrath was only as long as her attention span, which had decided to move on.

"Rosalie Lillian Hale and Emmett McCarty Cullen, when exactly did this unholy meeting of take place and why are we just now finding out about it? Friends tell each other these things! I thought we were friends! Why are you keeping these things from me," she asked in quick succession, backing me up into the loveseat. She gasped, a thought occurring to her, and she spun around to look at Bella, who still hadn't said a word, but was steadily drinking from the bottle of vodka in her lap.

"You knew," she accused. "You knew the whole time!"

"Knew what?" Bella countered, only slurring her words slightly, "That everwon here iss having sex all the time, but me? Oh, and Eddie. We're not having sex, Ed," she directed towards him, conspiratorially throwing an arm around his shoulders while he hid a smile, trying not to laugh. Directing her attention back to Alice, she continued, "Did I know that? Yep, I'm pretty fuckin' aware of it. Did you tell me that you fucked Jassper in the car while we all changed? No. But I know. I know _lots_ of things."

Alice opened and closed her mouth several times, clearly at a loss for what to say. Bella crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow in challenge, so Alice returned to her seat on Jasper's lap. A look of slight embarrassment was on her face as she suggested, "Let's play a different game. I think I'm tired of "Never Have I Ever"."

I let out a tense laugh, and agreed, "Let's play-" but Edward cut me off.

"No, no, no, no… we all know about the two lovebirds to my left," he stated, crooking a thumb at Alice and Jasper, "but I'm terribly curious to hear when my big brother decided to try and de-frost the Ice Queen. I mean wouldn't you get frostbite-"

"Edward, if you don't shut your face, I will smack your face right off your face," Emmett interrupted him, his voice low and his fists clenched. Swallowing hard and reaching to hold my hand, to my surprise, he continued, "You are my brother and I love you, but Bella not sleeping with you is obviously turning you into an even bigger douche than normal. You may not insult the woman that I love."

And in that moment I don't know whose jaw dropped further, mine or Edward's.

I don't know because…

I passed out.

That's right, I have proved that alcohol, adrenaline, fear and shocking statements can cause otherwise stable people to pass the fuck out.

*~*~*

When I came to, Emmett was cradling my head in his lap and I was lying in my hotel bed. His fingers applied slight pressure to my scalp as he gently massaged my head. I breathed out a contented little sigh, before my eyes flew open and searched for his. I found his blue eyes; they looked tired but still so sexy and full of concern. "Rosie, how are you feeling? I was so worried, but you didn't hit your head or anything. Alice said you hadn't eaten and that maybe it was just too much alcohol and a long night."

He stopped, pulling me up and cradling my entire body against his so that I was sitting in his lap. My head was pressed into the crook of his neck and I was breathing deeply. He smelled heavenly, and like a coward, I wanted to hide in the bedroom for the rest of my life and never face anything again.

But that wasn't reality, and in the cold, hard light of the morning, reality is what I had to deal with. I pulled away slightly, "I'm fine Em, a little hungover, but we have to talk." I bit my lip, putting my hand on his chest, and faltering slightly at the feel of his heart rate picking up. I so wasn't looking forward to this.

"Yeah, Rose we do. We need to talk about a lot of things," he said, taking a deep breath, "Just let me say this, because I need to. I am always honest with you. One hundred percent. It was never my idea to keep us on the DL. And I'm through hiding in the bathroom stalls, acting like I don't see you the very second you walk into a room. Rosalie, I love you and wherever you are, that's where I want to be. I know that means going to a lot of modeling events, parties, premieres and stupid clubs where everyone thinks that they are hot shit, but I don't care. I know you better than you know yourself. I know you are too scared to say those three words back to me, but you do love me. I know you are fucked up over your family shit, and you are afraid to trust that anything good is here to stay."

My eyes were brimming as he hit on my biggest fear and I looked away.

"Rosie, look at me," he pleaded and I quickly ran the backs of my hands over my eyes and met his gaze, "I am not going anywhere," he declared, "You are stuck with me. I fucking love everything about you, even when you piss me off. I love you. Besides, where else am I gonna go? I hear if you go too far away from your heart you die. Rosie, Baby, you've got mine," he whispered, brushing a strand of hair out of my face. He kissed me gently, taking my bottom lip between his and nibbling sweetly.

He pulled back to place kisses along my jawline, and upon reaching my earlobe, he bit it lightly, saying, "You have no idea how fucking sexy you are right now."

I gasped slightly as his kisses and words ignited an aching need inside me.

"Em," I said breathlessly as he continued to kiss down my neck and collarbone.

"Mm-hmm," he mumbled into my shoulder.

"Em," I said again, putting my hands on either side of his face and turning him to look at me.

"You can't do that right now, or I will never get this out," I said, with a shaky breath, looking into his eyes, big blue pools of love and trust. I looked hard, searching for anything that might say he was lying or capable of fucking me over, but all I found was honesty. And, weirdly, love. Which meant, that as hard as it was for me to admit, he was right. I was the one who had the issue, not him.

"I'm not good at this. I've never had real relationships. I mean, you know what this means right? You'll have even less privacy and people will always be taking your picture and making up stuff about you and me? That… that I am crazy and irrational and a mess sometimes," I said, my voice cracking just a bit. "That I'm not perfect, I'm a little paranoid sometimes? That complete strangers are going to have an opinion about you? And share it with you if they meet you," I asked him, looking him very seriously in eyes.

He reached up and brushed away the tears I wasn't even aware had escaped down my cheeks with his big thumbs.

"I know all of that, Rose, and trust me when I say that I don't care, babe," he laughed, pulling me into a hug. "Baby, I know that you are one big bag of crazy sometimes; it's part of why I love you. And I don't care about the rest of it. Yes, I know it's there and I'm fine dealing with it. It will be easier to deal with now that there are two of us to take it on," he said with a smile.

"You really think so?" I asked with a tentative smile.

He flipped me over on the bed so that he was hovering just inches above my lips,

"I know so, Rose."

For the first time in so long, I felt a strange buoyant feeling.

Hope.

It mingled with intense, intense desire for the man in front of me.

I bit my lip as I ran my fingers through his curly chocolate hair, tangling them into fists and bringing his lips to crush into mine.

"I need you," I breathed into his ear as soon as his lips left mine, and he growled in anticipation, the light morning stubble on his cheek brushing against my neck, slightly tickling me and setting off goosebumps all over my body. I wanted him No, I needed him in me now.

I reached for the hem of his t-shirt and in one quick motion pulled it off of him, running my hands up and down his chest, marveling at the definition. It didn't matter how many times I'd seen him, Emmett Cullen without clothes was a delicious sight to behold. He slowly pulled my t-shirt off and his hands moved slowly over my breasts, his movements worshipful. I moaned in response, and he caught my eye and smirked, pulling my yoga pants off in one smooth motion.

I was completely laid bare in front of him. His eyes roved over my body, and instead of making me feel exposed, it made me feel wanted. But I noticed he still had his boxers on, so I reached up, and ran my fingers around his waistband, purring playfully, "Em, you are wearing entirely too many pieces of clothing for the planned activities. Let's take care of that."

The boxers disappeared in record time. I reached over and took his length in my hand, stroking it several times before leaning over and licking the few drops of precum off the head. His eyes darkened with lust, he pushed me gently back down on the bed and, taking my right nipple in his mouth, bit lightly before doing the same to my left. Each time sent an electrical-like impulse straight to my center.

He made a move further down my body, but I couldn't handle waiting any longer. "Emmett, I need you in me right now," I said with desperation, pushing on his shoulders so he would lie on his back.

"Your wish is my command," he said with a silly grin as I positioned him at my opening. I slid over him, sheathing him completely, and I felt full, but not uncomfortably so. It was perfect, like finding a piece of yourself that you didn't even know you were missing.

"Fuck, Rose you are so tight and wet," he said, moving slowly inside me as I moaned, "You are so big. Fuck Emmett, harder!"

"I fucking love you, babe." He said, picking me up, and bending me over the dressing table to accommodate my demand.

I braced myself with two hands on the mirror, yelling, "Harder, Emmett, harder!"

The change of angle bringing me maddeningly close to the edge with each thrust.

"Come for me, Rose, I want to hear you scream my name," he whispered, reaching around me to pinch my clit at the same time he thrust into me.

At that time, several things happened simultaneously: I came, screaming "Oh, god, oh, fuck, Emmett!" Emmett came, growling out a barely more restrained, "Fuuuck, Rosalie!" We shoved the dressing table one too many times, finally sending it crashing into the wall, creating a hole in the plaster as well as a pile of chunks of wood, splinters and broken glass. Emmett quickly picked me up and we sprinted back to the bed, quickly getting under the duvet.

When the lights came on seconds later, we pretended to be asleep, even as we heard several different voices join together in a disjointed chorus of "What the fuck happened in here?!"

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**Pssst!**

**Reviews are better than hotel-room-destroying-orgasms.**

**(Ok, maybe not.)**

**Leave me one anyway?**

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A/N: I do want to apologize for taking about a million years to update this. I can't guarantee that updates will be super-regular or anything like that because, well.. I'd be lying. AND YOU WOULD ALL KNOW IT. So, instead, I just promise that I will do my best.

In the meantime, ignore my updatefail and head over to** ThePhoenixRiddle's** story _Exposure_. It is uh-may-zing!


	6. In Which I Make Humble Apologies

To all of you who have emailed me saying, "Please update soon!" I am sorry. I've been in school full-time and pulling my hair out trying to plan a wedding on the side. So, I've recently finished my finals and (yay!) I may be able to update soon. I promise to do my level best to deliver at least several updates over the winter break. You are all amazing, and make writing this so much fun. Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading, reviewing and laughing along with (or at) me.

Cheers!

-Noel


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